Soleanna Saga (Remake)
by Zulon
Summary: The Knothole Freedom Fighters head to the Efrikan continent to the unexplored lands of Murasia, seeking to recruit the mysterious Terrans as allies. (Remake of my original story) Blends elements from Sonic X, Sonic Boom, and Archie Sonic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Infiltration

Location: Mobotropolis

Early Morning…

* * *

><p>Night had long since fallen over Westside Island and the citizens of Mobotropolis slept peacefully, confident that they were safe and sound behind the protective walls of the city. A robotic hedgehog with a black and gold paint job stood on the rooftop of the coliseum, gazing out across the cityscape with his oval-shaped red pupils. Without warning, the robotic hedgehog ignited his boosters and launched himself across the sky, purposely trying to garner the attention of the city's Artificial Intelligence. Landed on the rooftop of the Nate Morgan Academy, the robotic hedgehog was angrily greeted by a brown and black furred lynx, with blue-green eyes, with shoulder-length black hair. She was dressed in a shoulder-less, sleeveless dress with split tails, decorated with a small broach. Black pants, white gloves, and shoes, the gloves featuring round gold cuffs while the shoes had silver cuffs and toes.<p>

"You're that Metal Sonic unit that sabotaged the Freedom Fighter Special, then ambushed Sonic and Tails," she stated.

_"Guilty as charged,"_ he reluctantly admitted, probing the gem embedded in his torso.

"You've hacked into the city's network," NICOLE accused, "I'm purging you from the system."

The Mobotropolis that both the lynx and robotic hedgehog were stand in was a data-based visualization, not the real thing.

_"You might wish to hear what I have to say," _he warned.

"You have ten seconds," NICOLE warned.

The Metal Sonic held his right arm before him, his palm facing upwards as he clenched it into a fist, unclenching it several seconds later and producing a small icon.

_"I was dispatched by the individual responsible for my reconstruction," _he stated, _"He wishes to inform you of allies hidden in the unexplored land of Murasia. The information can_ _be found within this file."_

The icon hovered within the rogue Metal Sonic's palm for a brief moment before floating over to NICOLE, stopping directly in front of the lynx.

"Why should I trust you?" NICOLE asked.

_"I don't expect you to trust me,"_ he stated, _"Sonic taught me the value of life, I can't hope to repay the favor, but I can try in whatever way possible."_

NICOLE waved her hand over the icon, running a virus scan as she didn't quiet trust the rogue Metal Sonic unit. The scan came up negative, and with hesitation she opened the file, causing a VidWindow to open before her.

"…Well this is interesting," she said, dismissing the screen.

Turned her attention back to the rogue Metal Sonic, discovering that he had disconnected himself from the network, leaving her alone. Deciding that this was information that needed to be shared, she manifested her physical form directly into the sleeping quarters of Sally Acorn. She was sleeping soundly within her bed, the blankets pulled around her lithe form due to the coolness of the night air.

"Sally," NICOLE said.

The Princess of the Republic of Acorn slowly stirred awake, opening her blue eyes, finding NICOLE standing at the side of her bed.

"NICOLE?" she asked in surprise.

"We've got a situation, Sally," she stated.

"What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Our network was just infiltrated," NICOLE informed.

"Was it Dr. Eggman?"

"No. It was Metal Sonic, the same one who attacked Sonic and Tails following our departure from the Hidden City," she explained.

"But Geoffrey and the Secret Service recovered the Power Gem from Mt. Mobius after he sacrificed himself to allow Sonic and Tails time to escape that erupting volcano," Sally stated, "So who stole it?"

"It really doesn't matter at this point," NICOLE said, "Metal Sonic's working for someone, he's provided us with a data file that details a colony of humans in the Murasian region of Efrika."

"Is it one of those cities that are a part of that Hidden City Initiative?" Sally asked.

"They're descended from a group of colonists who departed Station Square six centuries ago," she explained, "These 'Terrans' have an entire civilization hidden somewhere in Murasia."

"You'd better wake daddy," she said, "He'll have to decide whether or not to summon the Council."

NICOLE immediately winked out of existence, giving the princess the privacy needed to dress herself.

* * *

><p>Location: Castle Acorn<p>

Forty minutes later…

* * *

><p>King Maximillian Acorn had been none too pleased to hear that an intruder had managed to bypass security, but given the circumstances he agreed to summon the Council of Acorn for an emergency council session. The council had formed in response to civil unrest that had plagued Mobotropolis sometime after the city had been retaken from Dr. Eggman. A series of elections had been held to democratically elected members of the public to the six seats available on the Council of Acorn. Sally paced outside the council chambers, dressed in a black, sleeveless crop-top worn beneath a closed blue vest, and black shorts, both with white rimming. Blue boots with white outlines on the buckles covered her feet, while white gloves with blue bangles covered he hands. Two members of the Royal Guard lingered outside the chamber doors, staring blankly ahead in utter silence. One of them raised his fingers to his ear, as if listening to a conversation, before locking eyes with the princess.<p>

"They're ready for you, your highness," he stated.

The two guards pushed open the wooden doors, permitting the princess entry into chambers of the Council of Acorn. The chamber was dominated by a large set of windows situated behind a half-circular table where the council sat. NICOLE stood in the chamber; holographic displays were projected before the gathered councillors, displaying data to them. Seated behind the table was her father along with Isabella Mongoose, Rosemary Prower, Hamlin Pig, Dylan Porcupine, Penelope Platypus, and Sir Charles Hedgehog.

"I apologize for the wait, my dear," King Max stated.

"That's alright, daddy," she said.

"The information provided to us was very interesting," he stated.

"Soleanna is located in Murasia, a region in Efrika that has never been fully explored," Sir Charles stated, "It's not difficult to see how this city has managed to remain hidden all this time."

"If these 'Terrans' are indeed descended from the colonists who left Station Square, why didn't the President tell us?" Isabella asked.

"It was six centuries ago," NICOLE interjected, "they could've forgotten or even assumed that they had perished."

"The question is…" Rosemary began, "would they be willing to join an alliance against the tyranny of the Eggman Empire?"

"The council has voted in favor of dispatching an envoy to open diplomatic relations with the Terrans," Dylan decleared.

"It would be reckless to go down there without knowing the dangers," Hamlin stated, having been unusually quiet.

"I'm in complete agreement, councillor," King Max stated.

"Then perhaps it would be in the council's best interest to dispatch a small recon team to scout out the area before the arrival of the diplomat team," Sally suggested.

"Princess Sally you are very capable diplomat, you have proven so in the past and I see no other more qualified then you are," Rosemary said looking at her fellow councillors nodding, "at our request we ask of you, to please bear this responsibility."

"I humbly accept your request, councillors," Sally replied, bowing.

"Then we shall leave you to organize your team," King Max said, "and if there is nothing else…then this meeting is adjourned."

"Should I summon the others, Sally?" NICOLE asked exiting the Council Chamber with her.

"No. We'll have to hammer out the details in the morning," she stated, "Sonic and Tails were delivering supplies to Relic's camp in the Aquatic Ruin Zone, there's really no point in dragging them back to Mobotropolis at this hour."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Sleeping Giant

Location: Aquatic Ruin Zone

7:30am...

* * *

><p>A tall, lanky blue Hedgehog dressed in white gloves and red sneakers wrapped in white sports tape, and a brown neckerchief stepped out into the hastily erected campsite, gazing out at the waterlogged Aquatic Ruin Zone. A heavy fog shrouded the area, reducing visibility and making it impossible to see the crumbling buildings that were scattered throughout the zone. An ancient civilization was thought to have populated the area, though only the centuries old ruins remained to testify their existence. The hedgehog rubbed his fur-covered arms out of nervousness, hating the fact that he was surrounded by so much water. He needed to consciously watch his step, one wrong move and he'd wind up taking an unwanted dip.<p>

"Good Morning, Master Sonic" a voice greeted.

Sonic whirled around and discovered a small, hovering robot covered in orange, yellow, and beige paint, with bulbous green eyes. The way his head was shaped gave the impression of a worker's cap, while a large container was attached to its back.

"Mornin', Fixit," he greeted back.

"Madam Relic has prepared hot cocoa if you are interested," the robot informed.

"Thanks," the hedgehog said.

Proceeding to another part of the campsite, Sonic found a turquoise furred Pika sitting in front of a small camping stove. She was dressed in black pants, a matching top, brown boots, brown gloves, a tan, knee-length coat, while her brown eyes fixed behind a pair of purple spectacles. She was engrossed with the studying of an artifact that she had recently excavated from one of the ruined buildings. He couldn't understand her fascination with it, to him it just looked like little more then a flat bar of metal that resembled a crowbar.

"Good morning," Relic said cheerfully, "Cocoa?"

"Yes, thank you?" he said.

Grabbing a tin cup, the hedgehog poured himself a generous helping and drank a mouthful, allowing the hot liquid to warm his insides.

"Have you seen Tails?" Sonic asked.

"He's working on his plane," she answered.

Glancing in the opposite direction of the camp, Sonic found the X-Cyclone just outside the campsite, the sun reflecting off its white paint. Co-created by Tails and Professor Charles Thorndyke, the X-Tornado had become the replacement for the Tornado, which had suffered irreparable damaged during Chaos' attack on Station Square. During his globetrotting days, Nate Morgan had befriended a Professor named Charles Thorndyke, allowing the freedom fighters somewhere to stay during their mission to warn the Hidden City of Eggman's threat. Draining his remaining hot chocolate, Sonic placed the cup down and headed for the X-Cyclone, finding the twin-tailed fox. He had on a pair of goggles pushed up onto his forehead, with a brown belt around his waist, and another one worn across his chest. He wore a pair of white miner's gloves on his hands, while his white and red sneakers were wrapped in white sports tape.

"Yo Tails, whatcha doing?" Sonic asked, approaching.

The young fox had removed a panel from beneath the cockpit, and had begun the process of installing a device within the newly exposed opening.

"Uncle Chuck and I developed a Power Ring launcher," Tails explained, "We used a miniaturized version of Nate Morgan's Ring Forge."

"Does it work?" the hedgehog asked.

"Does it work!? Of course it works," the fox replied.

Tails took to the air by spinning his twin-tails together, and landed onto the exterior of the aircraft, slipping into the cockpit.

"Go to the edge of the lake," Tails instructed.

Sonic reluctantly did as was instructed and watched as Tails jabbed a button on the console in front of him caused the Ring Launcher to tilt downward. A single golden ring was fired from the launcher, ricocheting off the ground and flying over the hedgehog's head, landing in the water behind him.

"Nice one," he said sarcastically.

"Oops! Guess I still have some measurements to make," the fox admitted, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

From the cockpit of the X-Cyclone Tails could still make out the ring glowing within the water, but with each passing second it descended deeper to the bottom of the murky lakebed.

"Well I'm not retrieving it," Sonic stated.

_"Tails, this is NICOLE, do you copy?" _a voice cracked through the speaker of the X-Tornado's CB radio.

Surprised by the sudden call, Tails reached for the microphone, holding down the button as he spoke in to it.

"This is Tails," he said, "What's the situation, NICOLE?"

_"We've got a developing situation. You and Sonic are needed back in Mobotropolis,"_ she stated.

"Understood. We'll pack up and meet you at the airfield," the fox replied, hanging up the microphone and looking down to Sonic, "You get all that?"

"Yeah. I'll let Relic know," the hedgehog stated, intent on racing off to notify her.

An explosion deep within the lake halted Sonic's plans, as several gallons of water were tossed into the air. Turning around, Sonic was shocked to discover that a giant stone statue had risen from the depths of the waterlogged ruins. It looked like a Roman solider dressed in Lorica armour, with an almond-shaped head that was covered with a Galea. Within its right hand lay a single spear, a good portion having snapped off during its slumber beneath the waves.

"*SHHK!*TEMS CO*ZZKT* ON*SHHK!*NE...! BE*VRRT!*NING REACTIV*KVRT!*N PR*KSHK!*COL!" the stone soldier boomed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Relic cried out, having been brought running by the disturbance.

"INT*ZZKT*RS DE*KVRT!*T*SHHK!*ED!"

Without warning the soldier swept its broken spear in a horizontal arc, intent on knocking the hedgehog and pika into the waters below. Sonic lunged at Relic, tackling her to the wet ground and just narrowly managed to avoid being hit. Tails immediately opened fire with the X-Cyclone, bullets chipping away at the suddenly mobile statue's stone armour.

"Stay down!" Sonic ordered the archeologist.

He was on his feet in an instant, streaking across the waterlogged ruins, trying to put some distance between himself and the ancient golem. There was no tell what might happen if it got loose, and he wasn't willing to simply stand by and find that out. He could see that the X-Cyclone had gone airborne, transforming into its flight-mode.

"Tails, bring the X-Tornado towards me and get ready to fire another Power Ring," Sonic ordered, speaking into his wrist-communicator.

_"Copy that, Sonic,"_ Tails replied.

Watching the X-Tornado brake off its attack and flew off in Sonic's direction, the hedgehog broke into a sprint, racing across the stone pathway of the ruins. Just before Sonic and the X-Tornado crossed paths, Tails fired the Power Ring from the launcher, the band of energy ricocheted off the ground and into the hands of the hedgehog. Suddenly filled with the ring's energy, Sonic became nothing more then a blur as he broke the sound barrier. The hedgehog launched himself off the platform and slammed directly into the torso of the statue. His quills were slicing through the stone, creating a sizable indentation that was deepening with every passing second. Sonic eventually succeeded in breached the torso, tearing through the chest cavity and delivering a deathblow to the golem.

"G*KVRT!*E...DRAKON...EM...PIRE!" it decleared, slipping back beneath the lake.

Sonic was unable to stop himself from continuing forward, straight towards the center of the lake before finally losing speed. Now free-falling towards the deepest part of the lake, Sonic half-expected to find his lungs filling up with water, when something cold and metallic suddenly snared his arm. Glancing up, Sonic discovered that it had been Fixit who had come to his rescue.

"Thanks for the save, Fixit."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Taking Flight

Location: Mobotropolis

One hour later...

* * *

><p>NICOLE watched as the X-Tornado touched down on the tarmac of King Frederick Airfield, slowing to a stop outside the hanger. Mobotropolis had been made aware of what had transpired in the Aquatic Ruin Zone, and had convinced to abandon her campsite. Relic and Fixit were seated in the passage pod, waiting for the work crew to assist them in disembarking. Sonic and Tails had no such difficulty and were strolling across the tarmac barely a minute after landing.<p>

"How'd you manage to convince her to come back?" NICOLE asked as Sonic and Tails approached.

"I may have suggested that she needed to drain the lake," Tails admitted.

"As much as I appreciate you dragging me away from the Aquatic Ruin Zone," Sonic began, "what exactly was the reason?"

"Sally and the King will explain everything once we've reached the Royal Study," NICOLE stated.

Realizing that they'd receive no answer from her, Sonic and Tails followed the Holo-Lynx in the direction of Castle Acorn. They had reached their destination within minutes of departing the airfield and were soon moving through the hallways of the castle. They found a tall and slim walrus waiting for them outside the Royal Study, dressed in black and white shoes with yellow socks, yellow fingerless gloves, a green belt worn across his chest that contained several pouches, and a pair of yellow goggles pushed up onto his head.

"I'll inform Sally and the King of your arrival," NICOLE stated, winking out of existence.

"Morning," the walrus greeted.

"Morning, Rote," Sonic said, "Any idea what's going on?

"No. NICOLE wasn't very forthcoming with that information," he answered.

"Are the others here?" Tails asked.

"Bunnie and Antoine are already inside, we're still waiting for Amy, she's running a bit late," he replied.

"Might as well wait like everyone else," Sonic suggested.

Nodding in agreement Tails and Rotor followed Sonic into the Royal Study where they were greeted by Bunnie.

"G'morning y'all," she said.

The blonde-haired rabbit wore a pink one piece, the feet of her cybernetic legs resembling white and pink sneakers, while her right hand was covered in a white glove with pink trim. Antoine was dressed in an outfit worn by the Royal Guards, not surprising since he came to Mobotropolis as part of the Apprentice Exchange program. He wore a white uniform sash, with white and dark-red boots, and white gloves with red-rimmed, white bangles, his father's sword sheathed in a scabbard that hung at his hip.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," Amy apologized, entering into the room.

The pink-furred hedgehog was wearing a red one piece top with a purple sash wrapped around her waist, with larger rings and purple tape on her wrist, and purple stockings over her shoes. The last to finally arrive was the King, who was dressed as regal as always, followed by his daughter.

"I apologize for the wait," King Max stated, entering the room, "we had to look into something."

"What's going on?" Tails asked.

"Last night our network was hacked," Sally informed, "It's was by Metal Sonic."

"That out of character," Sonic said, "Usually it's me he's targeting."

"It was the Metal Sonic that sabotaged the Freedom Fighter Special during our departure from Station Square," Sally informed.

"Him?...But I watched him get melted to slag," Sonic stated, "Tails was there too."

"I dispatched Commander St. John and the Secret Service on a recovery mission to retrieve the Power Gem," King Acorn admitted, "It needed to be kept out of the hands of Dr. Eggman."

"So...how is he running around?" Amy questioned.

"For a time it was being kept at the Science Center," Rotor stated, "His Majesty commissioned Sir Charles and I to create an army of one hundred Metal Sonics to be utilized as a defence force."

"I cancelled the project not long after," the King said in his own defence.

"The gem was then moved to the Royal Vault. We just discovered it missing," Sally informed.

"It's not the fact that the gem is missing and he infiltrated our systems that's the issue," NICOLE said, trying to get everyone attention, "It's the file that he handed over."

"What file?" Antoine asked.

"A file with information regarding a city in the Murasia region of Efrika called Soleanna," NICOLE explained, "It's populated by a group of humans calling themselves 'Terrans'. They originated from Station Square, but departed the city some six centuries ago, intent on establishing a colony."

"Is this city a part of the United Federation, Sally?" Rotor asked.

"No. Station Square's Congress rejected the proposal, forcing Senator Doran Routhe to renounce his position and fund the project personally," Sally stated.

"Ironic, seeing as how Station Square was expanding its territory since before the Chaos Incident," Sonic scoffed.

"They were simply not ready to venture beyond the safety of their mountain at the time," NICOLE defended, eliciting a grunt from the hedgehog.

"The council has voted to begin the process of opening diplomatic relations with the Terrans," King Acorn informed.

"Cool beans," Sonic said, "It's been way too boring lately."

"I'll be serving as representative of the republic for the duration of our time in Murasia," Sally informed, "I'd like you and Tails to fly down there and recon the area."

Tails approached one of the walls and stared at the map that was pinned to its surface, tracing a path with his index finger.

"Ya know...the X-Tornado can traverse the distance between Westside Island and Station Square in under two hours," the fox stated, "Travelling through Soumerca would put us near the Mobian Channel."

"You don't think the X-Tornado can safely traverse the Central Sea?" Sally questioned, suspicious of Tails' flight plan.

"Without a Chaos Emerald it's underpowered, and I don't want to cross over a large amount of water without one."

"Be honest; you just wanna see Chuck," Sonic accused.

"Don't act like you don't wanna see Chris either." Tails shot back.

"Okay, so maybe I'd like to drop in on Chris," Sonic admitted, "I mean, when exactly was the last time we saw him?"

"It was that whole thing with Shadow and the Ark, remember?" Amy reminded, "He and Tanaka tried to spring you from Prison Island."

"Oh right...that," he muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"I've got no problem with you going down to Station Square," Sally said, "but bear in mind that this is a time sensitive mission. You've got five days."

"Will anyone else be joining us, Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked.

"I've sent a message to the Chaotix, but have yet to receive a reply," NICOLE stated.

"Well just make sure that Cream doesn't stow away onboard the Freedom Fighter Special like she did last time," Sonic warned.

By the time they had discovered Cream onboard the Freedom Fighter Special, they were already halfway to Station Square, unable to turn around and take her back to Mobotropolis.

"Yeah, we'll make sure to sweep the plane thoroughly his time," Sally said, "Before and after."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: When a Hedgehog Returns

Location: Soumerca

Three hours later...

* * *

><p>The X-Tornado soared through the afternoon sky, the Rocky Jungle Zone stretched out beneath them as they drew closer to the formerly hidden city of Station Square. They soon passed over the Mystic Ruins, indicating that they were one step closer to reaching the United Federation's capital. The Xorda's attack on the planet had severely damaged the mountain that housed the city, leaving it almost entirely exposed to the outside world. Tails had delayed their departure from Mobotropolis, citing that he wanted to get the Ring Launcher properly installed into the X-Tornado.<p>

_"Aircraft, you have been detected entering United Federation airspace, identify yourself immediately."_

Tails knew that if he didn't respond in a timely manner then the G.U.N. Air Force would be dispatched to investigate. The last thing he wanted was to find a pair of Blue Eagles on his tail, and immediately unhooked the microphone from the CB radio.

"Station Square Control, this is the X-Tornado requesting landing permission."

For a moment, Tails feared that they would be denied clearance to land, but the sound of the unseen man's voice coming back over the radio fill him with relief.

_"Acknowledged, X-Tornado. Professor Thorndyke will be notified of your imminent arrival."_

"Copy that, control."

Since begin exposed to the outside world, the Department of Immigration had begun enforcing they immigration laws more stringently. Sonic and Tails were the exception to the rule, their affiliation with the Knothole Freedom Fighters was well known as was their heroics, though it was possible that Chuck also had a hand in that. Hanging up the microphone, Tails pushed the X-Tornado towards the mountain that housed the city. Knuckles and the Chaotix were the only ones who had been to Station Square following the Xorda's attack. They had recruited by the President to investigate the then newly-opened Casinopolis, which had been run by Renfield Rodent. The building had in reality been a factory, churning out Infiltrator-model Auto Automatons that would slowly replace the citizen of Station Square. The plot had been foiled, with Renfield being carted off to jail to stand trial for his crimes. The sheer destruction that the invaders had wrought on the mountain left Sonic and Tails without breath, even the wreckage of the aircraft that had ferried a group of survivors had been utterly destroyed. The waters of the Central Sea now met the Emerald Coast, leaving Tails to wonder if the Southern Sapphire Sea could still even be referred to as such.

"The Xorda really did a number on the city," the fox said, "You were in Westopolis when the Black Arms invaded, did you swing by while you were down here?"

"Naw...probably should've," Sonic admitted, frowning.

Peering out the window, the hedgehog could see that they were flying over Central Street, Station Square's main thoroughfare. Construction season was in full swing, repairing the damage caused by Perfect Chaos when he tore his way through the city not too long ago. Passing over the downtown core, the X-Tornado continued along to the affluent neighbourhood of Silky Heights where the Thorndykes resided.

* * *

><p>Location: Thorndyke Estate<p>

That same time...

* * *

><p>Chris Thorndyke as he sat at the edge of his swimming pool, letting the water lapping at his bare feet. Summer vacation had arrived and he had switched into more appropriate wear; denim shorts and a yellow-sleeveless shirt with a vertical white strip running through the middle. It hadn't taken long for boredom to set it; the ski trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains that his parents had been planning had been put on indefinitely hold due to his mother's movie. He was stuck at home, while his friends were off having adventures of their own. Danny was heading out west to Empire City, Francis had a family reunion to attend in Silver Valley, and Helen's parents had rented a villa down at the Emerald Coast. The boy let out a sigh and flopped onto his back, lazily watching the clouds drift past for several minutes.<p>

"There you are," a voice stated.

Chris rolled onto his stomach and saw his grandfather marching across the backyard towards him, dressed in brown slacks and a red Hawaiian shirt.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Chris asked.

"I just received a call from Air Traffic Control; the X-Tornado was detected entering United Federation airspace."

"It's Sonic!" he cried out, scrambling to his feet.

Chris had to remind himself that it might not ever be Sonic; it could easily just be Tails dropping in for a visit. Snatching up his shoes, Chris followed his grandfather to the front yard of the estate and watched as the X-Tornado began making its approach. With the threat posed by the Eggman Empire primarily localised in Northamer, the Freedom Fighters had little reason to come down to the southern hemisphere. Chuck fished a remote out of his pocket and pressed one of the buttons, causing the palm trees that lined the driveway to tilt away, providing enough clearance for Tails to land the X-Tornado.

"Sonic! Tails!" Chris called out, waving his arms.

"It's good to see you boys again," Chuck said, stepping forward, "though I admit, I was surprised to hear you were on your way."

"Hiya guys," Tails said from the cockpit, "It wasn't really planned."

"We're headed to Efrika and coming down here was the safest route," Sonic stated, dropping to the ground below.

"I see. Let's head inside and you can tell us all about," Chuck suggested.

Twirling his tails about, the fox took to the air and landed on the asphalt driveway next to the hedgehog whom was already in mid-stride, Tails trailing behind as they followed Chuck into the interior of the estate.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Stopover

Location: Thorndyke Estate

Five minutes later...

* * *

><p>"I've heard about the problems you've been havin with Ramada Refineries," Chuck stated, entering into the foyer.<p>

"That's putting it mildly," Sonic grumbled.

Socrates Ramada's company had been illegally tapping the reserves at the Oil Ocean Refinery for months without the knowledge of the council. Ramada Refineries' blatant disregard for the sovereignty of the Republic of Acorn had caused a diplomatic incident, with the United Federation ordering that Socrates Ramada to cease operations on Westside Island.

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Chuck said, "Ramada Refineries didn't get to be the second largest energy producer in the United Federation by playing by the rules."

"What's the first?" The fox asked.

"HEXAeco," the elderly human answered.

"Well they're a long ways from the United Federation!"

"It all comes down to money in the end," Chuck stated, "Though it can't be very cost effective to ship all that crude down to Soumerca,"

"They shouldn't be shipping it anywhere; that's our natural resources they're profiting from," Sonic said, throwing his arms up in dismay.

"Why'd Mobotropolis open an oil refinery anyways? I thought you Mobians liked to preserve nature," Chris asked.

"It was the Overlanders actually," Tails corrected, "The Metropolis Zone was originally an Overlander settlement, while the Chemical Plant and the Oil Ocean Refinery were part of the city's industrial complex. After we won the Great War, those overseas territories where left abandoned until Dr. Eggman began utilizing them following his coup d'état."

"That was until you succeeded in ousting him from power," Chuck added.

Entering into the estate's dining room, the hedgehog and fox were greeted by Ella and Tanaka; the Thorndyke's maid and butler respectively.

"Mr. Sonic, Mr. Tails. It is a pleasure to see you again," the butler greeted.

"Sí, it has been such a long time," Ella added.

"It's good to see you both," Tails said.

Tea and sandwiches had been prepared and laid out in advance of their arrival, and the two Mobians eagerly helped themselves.

"What's in Efrika that has your attention?" Chuck asked, taking a seat at the end of the table, while Sonic and Tails seated themselves beside one another, Chris took a seat across for them.

"A city called Soleanna," Sonic answered, "We've received information that there are allies waiting for us in Murasia."

"Soleanna? I've never heard of such a city, and I've got sources in high places," Chuck stated.

"It's not part of the Hidden City Initiative, if that's what you're trying to get at," Tails said.

Following the dissection of the Xorda emissary, the Earth-based governments feared that there would be a reprisal. To ensure Humanity's survival, a contingency plan was developed to shelter a portion of the human population. Known as the Hidden City Initiative, it resulted in several cities being hastily constructed in concealment underground. Station Square was one of these city, alongside Spagonia, Apotos, Adabat, Shamar, Mazuri, Chun-Nan, and Holoska. Mobius' near destruction at the hands of the Xorda had convinced some of these hidden city-states to publicly reveal their existence to the outside world.

"The inhabitants call themselves Terrans; they were led by a man named Doran Routhe," Tails stated.

"Hmm...I think I recognise the name," Chuck admitted.

"He was a Senator before resigning out of anger when your Congress rejected his proposed plans for colonial expansion," Tails added.

"I see. How long are you two going to be in the city?" Chuck asked.

"Not long...unfortunately. It's a time sensitive mission and we've got recon the area before Sal and the others arrive," Sonic stated.

"So Chris, got any plans for summer?" Tails asked.

"Well...dad had planned to take us on a ski trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains," he explained, frowning, "...but mom's filming a movie and can't get away."

"Say Chuck, would you have a problem with Chris travelling with us?" Sonic asked, causing Tails to glance at Sonic in surprise.

"Sonic, is that really such a good idea?" Tails asked in a low whisper.

"What's the worst that could happen?" the hedgehog replied back.

"How much time you got?"

"Can I, Grandpa?" Chris asked.

"Well...it would prevent you from mopping around the house," Chuck said, "but I'll have to run it past your parents first, though I don't see them saying no."

"I'll start packing right away," Chris said.

Climbing to his feet, Chris exited the dining room, intent on headed for his bedroom.

"I'll go help him," Ella stated, taking her leave.

"Tell him to pack a suit," Chuck suggested, "there's a good chance he'll be meeting with some very important people."

"How about you come with us, Chuck," Tails urged, knowing that Sally would have less of a problem with Chris being with them if Chuck was accompanying.

"Well...as much as I could use a break, I've got to complete the project I've been working on."

"And what project is that?" Sonic questioned.

"Something I think you might like," Chuck said, directing his answer towards Tails.

"Really? What type of project?" the fox asked.

Chuck rose to his feet and headed for the door, prompting Sonic and Tails to follow him out into the front yard of the estate. A push of a button caused the garage to rise up, exposing Chuck's laboratory beneath it; a small fighter plane painted silver, blue, and yellow parked inside.

"Wow! What is it?" Tails asked.

"It doesn't have a name yet, but I have been calling it the Hyper Tornado," Chuck stated.

"What's the length of the wingspan? What's the maximum speed?" Tails asked, a dozen questions popping into his head.

"I'll share all the details with you," Chuck said, stifling a laugh from Tails' enthusiasm, "How'd you like to take it for a test flight?"

Without even saying a word, Tails pulled down his goggles over his eyes, a grin plastered all over his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Need to Speed

Location: Thorndyke Estate

Fifteen minutes later...

* * *

><p>Sonic was stretched out on the rooftop, his green eyes lazily watching as the fluffy white clouds slowly drifted past. He heard the sound of an engine starting up, prompting the hedgehog to sit up and watch as the Hyper Tornado took to the air, flying off towards the downtown core. Chris was still sequestered in his room, unable to make a decision on what he should pack for the trip to Soleanna. All the waiting was beginning to make him restless; he needed something to distract him until both Tails and Chris were ready to leave. A race was exactly what he needed and there was only one human in Station Square capable of keeping up with him. Standing up, Sonic launched himself from the rooftop and grabbed the branch of a nearby tree, swinging down to the ground below. He tore out of the Thorndyke's estate seconds later, the wind blowing through his fur as he headed on to Route 99, weaving through the traffic of the crowded thoroughfare. He took notice of a white sedan that was ahead of him, watching as a pair of children pointed at him from the back seat. The hedgehog couldn't help but wave at them as he sped past, eliciting angry honks from some of the drivers. Sonic cast them an apologetic-look, but continued in the direction of the freeway off ramp. Barely three minutes later, Sonic skidded to a stop behind the SSPD building. The garage acted as the headquarters for the Police Department's high-speed pursuit unit – the S-Team. He had run afoul of the S-Team during his first night in Station Square, something that Sally had not been pleased about. There were several Formula One cars parked inside the garage, undergoing maintenance while the team was on standby.<p>

"Yo Sam, you here!?" Sonic called out, trying to get his voice to rise above the noise.

He noticed movement coming from the inside and watched as a ginger-haired human stepped out from behind one of the cars, cleaning his hands off with a rag. He was dressed in a predominately red racing uniform; the standard attire for the leader of the S-Team.

He was the only human capable of keeping up with him, and they had naturally developed an intense rivalry. Extremely competitive, Sam desired nothing more then to prove that he was the faster then the hedgehog.

"Well! Well! If it isn't Sonic," he stated.

"Wanna race?"

"I'm always ready to wipe the floor with you, hedgehog," he said with a grin.

"You clearly have memory issues, Sam. I distinctly remember wiping the floor with you the last time we raced," Sonic smirked.

"Uh...Sam, don't you have to be at the courthouse this afternoon to give testimony?" a voiced asked.

Sonic noticed a blonde-haired man standing by one of the racers, dressed in a white and red version of Sam's racing uniform. The hedgehog recognized the man as Hector Dragg; Sam's rival prior to being reduced to third place, something he continued to resent.

"Oh...that's right," Sam muttered, "How's about you come back later. My schedule'll be open for the rest of the day."

"Can't. Tails and I are heading to Efrika on a mission," Sonic lamented, "Chris' tagging along for the ride."

"Well then...," Sam said, "Guess we'll just have to postpone our rematch for another day."

"Wonderful. Guess I'll find something else to entertain myself with," Sonic muttered, his plans ruined.

* * *

><p>Location: Station Square<p>

That same time...

* * *

><p>Tails sat within the cockpit of the Hyper Tornado, his hands gripping the yoke as he corkscrewed the aircraft. The X-Tornado was capable of flying 300 miles per hour; the Hyper Tornado was had thus far managed to keep up. It was outperforming the Cyclone and the Twister, and was even superior to the original Tornado. He was streaking across the cityscape, passing over Diamond Stadium when he heard Chuck's voice came over the radio.<p>

_"How do you like it, Tails?"_

"The controls are really responsive, Chuck."

_"That's what I like to hear?" __What are the chances of Mobotropolis being interested in purchasing a fleet?"_

"Well...we really don't have an air force," the fox stated, "Any aircraft at the disposal of the Republic of Acorn are privately owned."

_"Is that good or bad for me?"_ Chuck questioned.

"You'd still have to go through the proper channels and present the offer to the Council of Acorn," Tails said, "Even so; the Council of Acorn's got its hands full dealing with Ramada Refineries."

_"Well, I'm sure Nelson has people on his payroll to do that for him,"_ he commented, _"You're running low on fuel, Tails. You might want to consider coming back."_

"Roger that," he replied.

Tails banked the aircraft to the right without delay, and began heading in the direction of Silky Heights, landing at the Thorndyke's Estate barely five minutes later. Chuck was waiting for him as he touched down on the estate's driveway, a tablet computer in his hands.

"Sonic took off a while ago," Chuck informed as Tails pushed open the canopy, "He looked like he was getting restless."

"Not surprising," Tails said, grabbed the cables and attached them to the Hyper Tornado's computer, "he's probably challenging your son-in-law to a race."

"Sam's never really gotten over the fact that he lost his title to Sonic," Chuck commented, "beginning download."

With the flight data downloaded from the Hyper Tornado's computer, Chuck would be able to develop improvements and conduct more tests before he passed the blueprints over to Thorndyke Industries.

"I'm ready!" Chris called out as he emerged from the estate, a duffle bag slung across the boy's chest and a pack strapped to his back, a smile plastered on his face.

He was making no attempt to hide his excitement at being permitted to go on another adventure with the blue hedgehog.

"We just need another minute and then we can go look for Sonic," the fox replied.

While waiting for Tails and Chuck to finish up what they were doing, Chris stuffed his duffle bag into the X-Tornado's storage compartment. Chris took a seat behind Tails' seat, waiting patiently for the fox and his grandfather to finish what they were doing.

"All done," Chuck announced, unplugging the tablet.

Tails unplugged the cables and handed them to Chuck, climbing out of the cockpit and dropping to the ground.

"You sure you won't reconsider?" the fox questioned.

"I'm far too busy, besides it'll be good for Chris if was just the three of you."

"Sally's not gonna like this," he sighed under his breath.

Strolling across the driveway, Tails approached the X-Tornado and was about to climb onboard when Ella and Tanaka approached.

"I prepared sandwiches for your trip," the maid stated, gesturing to the wicker picnic basket she carried.

"Thanks, Ella. I wasn't looking forward to eating those MREs we've got packed away in the X-Tornado's survival kit," Tails said.

Tails took the basket and flew up to the passenger pod, depositing the inside, rather then stashing it in the storage compartment.

"Have a safe flight," Chuck said as Tails climbed into the cockpit.

"We will," Tails called down.

"Bye Ella, bye Mr. Tanaka, bye grandpa," Chris said.

Tails powered up the X-Tornado's engines and was sent speeding down the driveway, the fox pulling back on the controls and the entire aircraft lifted off the ground.

"Where do you think Sonic is?" Chris asked.

"Let's check the desert. If Sonic's racing against your uncle, then it'll be out there."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Land of Mystery

Location: Sand Hill Zone

Ten minutes later...

* * *

><p>From atop a towering mesa, Sonic stared out across the desert landscape, he sun beating down upon him as waves of heat radiating up from the endless tracks of sand. He was miles from Station Square, surrounded by nothing but pristine desert that separated him from civilization. If Ramada Refineries had conducted oil drilling within the desert, then there were few signs of it. Mobius' largest oil reserves lay within Shanazar; a desert kingdom located in the eastern most part of the Efrikan continent. Their refineries in the Oil Desert Zone were capable of producing more barrels of oil then Socrates Ramada's company could ever hope to match. Unfortunately, it had resulted environmental damage that had left a choking smog over the kingdom's capital. The pollution had become so bad that Princess Kupacious had been forced to relocate it to Tashistan before her successful annexation of Shamar. The formerly hidden city now served as the kingdom's new capital, after Kupacious' Imperial Guards had pacified local resistance. Growing increasingly bored, Sonic launched himself from the mesa, racing down the rocky surface to the blistering sands below. Once his feet were firmly on the ground, the hedgehog tore his way across the desert landscape. As he ran, he watched a black shadow pass overhead, prompting the hedgehog to stop dead in his tracks, the distinctive sound of the X-Tornado's engines reaching his ears. Sonic turned his green eyes skyward and discovered that the aircraft had passed him by.<p>

"Yo Tails, down here," he said into his wrist communicator.

The X-Tornado immediately banked left, circling overhead up Sonic began waving his arms to get the fox's attention. Transforming the aircraft into its X-Cyclone mode, it descended from the sky, kicking up a large amount of sand in the process.

"Hey Sonic, we're ready to go when you are," Chris called out.

"Yeah, then let's head out," Sonic said leaping onto the exterior of the aircraft.

A press of a button and the X-Tornado took to the sky, heading for the southernmost part of the continent. Twenty minutes into their flight and a pair of Blue Eagles appeared in the horizon, on an obvious intercept course. Suddenly the CB radio crackled to life and a voice; obviously male, came on the line.

_"Aircraft, you are entering a restricted area, change course immediately or we will be forced to open fire,"_ the man on the radio warned.

"We must be near Area 99," Chris stated.

It hadn't crossed Tails' mind that their current trajectory might just put them directly in the path of a 'top-secret military base' belonging to the national defense force. Not wanting to fly over open water, Tails banked the X-Tornado to the right without hesitation, heading deeper into the continent.

"Don't tell me we have to go around," Sonic said.

"You wanna get shot down, cause I don't?" Tails retorted.

"True enough, but this'll eat up a lot of time."

"Can't be helped, you know how touchy GUN can be."

"Unfortunately," Sonic sighed.

* * *

><p>Location: Murasia<p>

Hours later...

* * *

><p>Murasia was a jungle-covered region full of high mountains and plenty of ruins of a once thriving civilization that held little interest in the eyes of the Eggman Empire. The X-Tornado was still a ways from its destination; having to divert their flight path had wasted a large amount of time. The skies had gradually darkened in the past twenty minutes and the wind was beginning to pick up.<p>

"Looks like there's a storm brewing," Chris said, stating the obvious.

"I think we should land," Tails said, "I don't want to try to fly in this weather."

Sonic glanced over the side of the aircraft, staring down at the jungle below when he spotted an elevated area of foliage covered land that towered over the rest of the jungle that was the size of a small city.

"There," Sonic shouted pointed to the mesa, "we can take shelter down there."

The X-Tornado banked and dropped in attitude heading towards the mesa and transforming into its X-Cyclone mode allowing Tails to land the vehicle and maneuver into the forest to get out of the rain that had begun to fall. The forest was humid, but not so much that it was uncomfortable and the canopy was thick enough that it prevented much of the rain from penetrating.

"Well so much for that," Sonic said as he leapt down from the X-Cyclone as it lowered itself to the ground.

"How long do you think we're grounded for?" Chris asked, dropping to the muddy ground below.

"I donno," Tails admitted.

He reached for the pouch at his hip and removed a collapsible table computer that he had stored inside, taking a moment to access any weather satellites that just happened to be overhead. What he found was a slow moving weather system that at the very minimum would eat up another two hours.

"Might as well get comfortable," Tails said.

"Let's just set up camp and wait it out, we can continue onward to Soleanna in the morning," Sonic suggested.

"Your right Sonic," Tails said climbing out of the X-Cyclone, "We'll need some water and firewood. I looked for the water if you want to collect the firewood."

"Yeah! Sure thing, Big Guy."

"I'll grab that picnic basket Ella gave us," Chris announced.

Several minutes later Tails was walking along a well worn path that seem to have been traveled once before with a clear, collapsible plastic water jug in his arms as he for any sort of pond of stream but so far all he had come across was a bunch of crumbling ruins. He stopped and looked around before spotting a small pond that was located just off the path and head over to fill the jug water. Once sufficiently filled he added several water treatment pills, screwed on the cap and turned and headed back in the direction of the campsite. Sonic had been unsurprisingly fast in collecting the firewood, already he had managed to get a fire going to provide them with warmth.

"Here Tails," Chris said, offering the fox a sandwich wrapped in wax paper.

"What did Ella make us?" he questioned.

"Smells like prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella with a hint of pesto aioli," the boy answered.

Tails set the water jug down and accepted the sandwich, taking a seat on the ground so that he could eat.

"How much further do you think we've got left?" Sonic asked, taking a seat.

"A few hours at least," Tails said between bits of his sandwich, "Mmm...I forgot how good Ella's cooking was."

"Too bad Danny and Francis couldn't come," the hedgehog said.

"Well everyone's has plans for summer vacation," Chris stated, "and even if they didn't, I'm not sure Danny and Frances would've been allowed to come with us."

"What are they up to anyways?" Tails questioned.

"Danny's heading out to Empire City, Helen's spending time at the Emerald Coast Resort, and Francis' family has a cottage out in Silver Valley."

"Should we set up camp?" Tails asked, "we've got no way of knowing how long it'll take for this weather system to pass."

"Sounds like a good idea, Tails," Sonic said, "let's give it a bit before making that decision."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: City of Water

Location: Soleanna Forest Zone

Afternoon, that next day…

* * *

><p>By the time the X-Tornado had landed, the cloudless blue sky had become tinted with only the slightest hint of orange. Satellite photos provided by the United Federation indicated that Soleanna had no airport, forcing them to land in a deep canyon located just outside the city. The ground was carpeted with lush grass, and there were trees scattered throughout the area. Tails didn't feel comfortable with leaving the aircraft out in the open; instead he switched to X-Cyclone mode and pushed toward the southeast, where the forest turned into jungle. Sonic and Chris had already disembarked, but Tails remained seated in the cockpit.<p>

"Why don't you and Chris should go on ahead, Sonic," Tails suggested, "I've got to report back to Mobotropolis and tell Sally that we've arrived."

"Should we take our gear with us?" Chris asked.

"Um...no, let's leave it in the storage compartment for now," Sonic replied, "We can always come back later."

Sonic and Chris headed off in a northwesterly direction where the city was located, leaving Tails to radio home. Trekking through the valley only took them fifteen minutes, but soon they had passed through a stone archway that led into the city. Chris found Soleanna to be breathtakingly beautiful, with white stone buildings of European architecture and numerous bridges spanning over the many canals that weaved its way throughout the entire city. The inhabitants seemed to be preparing for some sort of celebration, with strings of white light strung between several buildings. Human wondered along the cobblestone streets, paying no mind to the anthropomorphic blue hedgehog, something that Chris took notice of.

"They don't seem surprised to see you," the boy said.

"They must've encountered Mobians before," Sonic surmised, "Shanazar's just across the desert, maybe they've encountered one of the nomad tribes, or a local community, or those trying to flee the Eggman Empire."

Unable to settle upon a plausible theory, Sonic and Chris continued through the city winding up at the waterfront. There was a platform in the center of the canal with a large blazer that currently lay extinguished, but that wasn't what captured Sonic's attention. There was a sandy-blonde haired woman standing at the railing, occasionally stealing glances at her wristwatch. She was dressed in blue jeans with a white t-shirt that was covered by a navy blue jacket, and white sneakers. It wasn't until she turned to leave that Sonic managed to get a good look at her face.

"Topaz?" he asked aloud.

The woman whirled around, a stunned look on her face upon discovering that Sonic was standing behind her along with the Thorndyke boy.

"Sonic? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question," he said, "Where's Rouge, casing the local jewellery store?"

"She's around. We're here at the request of the President to investigate this city," she replied.

She wasn't being completely truthful; GUN had dispatched them to investigate a suspected Eggman Base in the mountains. They hadn't known about Soleanna, it was only via GUN spy satellites that they discovered about the city's existence, which was further collaborated with the anonymous information received by the Republic of Acorn nearly a day later. With New Megaopolis in ruins, it was possible that Dr. Eggman was determined to menace someone else for a change, and these 'Terrans' were oblivious to the threat lurking within their own backyard. Splitting up, she had remained behind in Soleanna to learn what she could, while Rouge had headed up into the White Acropolis Peaks to gather intelligence on the base. That was well over twelve hours ago, if she didn't re-establish contact soon, then she would have to radio headquarters for assistance.

"Anything else?" Sonic asked, causing her to suddenly snap back to reality.

"I keep hearing about some place called Augustgard. I don't think Soleanna's the only place where these 'Terrans' reside."

"Hmm...good to know," the hedgehog commented.

"Sonic, there you are," Tails said, approaching the group, "Huh? Oh hiya, Topaz."

"Nice to see you again, Tails," Topaz greeted.

"You managed to make contact with Sal and the others?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, Mighty and Ray will be coming down with them," the fox explained.

"Cool beans," he said, placing his hands behind his head.

"Say...where exactly do we plan on sleeping?" Chris asked.

"That's...a good question," Sonic admitted.

"Most of the hotels will probably be booked completely for the festival," Topaz stated, "You'll be lucky to find a vacancy."

"Guess were sleeping under the stars again," Sonic commented.

"I don't mind," Chris admitted.

"I'd better be off. You boys enjoy yourselves," Topaz said, walking off.

"Well...Who's up for some grub?" asked the hedgehog.

* * *

><p>Location: White Acropolis Peaks<p>

That night...

* * *

><p>Spotlights lit up the night sky, catching the falling flakes of snow as an alarm pierced the chilly mountain air. From within the base, numerous Egg Gunners marched through the front gates to confront the intruder that had been detected. Eggman was rolling out a new line of robots to replace the forces he had lost after the destruction of New Megaopolis, but they were no match for Shadow the Hedgehog. Skating through the evergreens, the black and crimson hedgehog used the trees as cover from the bullets that were fired at him. He shot towards the front gate, ignoring the robots and leapt over the fence, landing behind a stack of barrels.<p>

_"Transmission from HQ. An SOS has been issued by Agent Topaz. The last communication from Agent Rouge was 26 hours ago. We expect an immediate rescue, Shadow the Hedgehog."_

"Understood. Initiating the mission now."

Though the power of Chaos Control, Shadow teleported away from the scene, reappearing deeper within the base. Security had been upgraded to full alert status, forcing Shadow to either fight or avoid a confrontation altogether. There were deep fissures within the earth, forcing Shadow to launch himself off of snow drifts to cross them. Rouge was likely being held deeper within the complex, but knowing her, she had probably managed to break out of whatever cell she had been thrown in. Having avoided or eliminated most of the security robots, Shadow arrived at a blast door containing a security detail. The hedgehog lunged at one of them, delivering a vicious kick to the head of one of the robots, detaching it completely from its body. Charging up a Chaos Spear, Shadow hurled it casually at one robot who had attempted to flank him from behind. The spear of Chaos Energy pierced the robot's chest, causing it to crash to the ground in a heap, smoke trailing from the gapping hole in its body. Shadow didn't give the other robots and chance to attack him, infusing his body with Chaos Energy, he unleashed it all at once, consuming them in a brilliant explosion. Twisted shards of metal rained down upon him, but his attention was fixated upon the blast door that was slowly sliding apart with a groan. Rouge was standing on the other side, more surprised to see him then he was of her.

"Shadow? Why are..."

"It was a request from the President," he answered.

"Guess Topaz got worried, huh?" she said

"Was I even needed?" he questioned.

"Hey, I appreciate the distraction."

"You get what you came for?"

"Yep," Rouge answered, producing a flash drive.

"Then we'd better get a move on."

Shadow whirled around and took a step forward when the alarms suddenly ceased their annoying blaring, something that he found unusual.

"Eggman's not the type to give up so easily," Rouge commented, echoing his sentiment.

From a PA system hidden somewhere a voice, a female one that had been synthesized, come on the line.

_"Thrust increasing..."_

_"Engine output at maximum..."_

_"Course plotted..."_

There came a load groan, and the entire mountains felt like it was shaking, forcing Shadow and Rouge to brace themselves.

_"Gate open..."_

_"Lifting off."_

They watched as a sleek, crimson battleship suddenly pull out from the hanger bay that had been built into the side of the mountain.

"Is that...?" Shadow began.

"...The Egg Carrier!?" Rouge gasped.

Shadow had never witnessed the Egg Carrier in actio before, though he had seen the wreckage of both vessels and had read GUN files detailing Eggman's attack on Station Square. They watched as the thrusters kicked on, sending the flying fortress streaking down the mountainside towards the City of Water.

"He's heading for Soleanna," Rouge cried out.

Seizing the bat by the wrist, Shadow said began to draw upon his reserves of Chaos Energy.

"CHAOS...," he said, winking out of existance.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: City in Flames

Location: Soleanna

That same time...

* * *

><p>Firework launching into the sky, the multi-coloured lights reflecting off the water flowing through the canals. From the booth of a Japanese-style restaurant, Sonic, Tails, and Chris could see the firework show, all while dining on what passed as 'authentic' Japanese cuisine. The interior utilized a faux-Japanese design, with plenty of bamboo wood and Japanese artwork hanging on the walls. It was fortunate that the people of Soleanna accepted Mobiums, otherwise they'd have been forced to chow down on MREs.<p>

"When do you suppose the festival will start?" Chris asked, finishing off the last of his Miso Soup.

"Uh...maybe we should consider leaving soon," Tails suggested.

"I suppose you're right," Sonic admitted, swirling the green tea in his cup, "Where'd that waitress go?"

There were surprisingly few diners within the restaurant, the sound of utensils and hushed conversations mixing with the soft music that emerged from a hidden speaker.

"Will you be needing anything else?" the waitress asked, approaching their table.

"Just the bill please," Sonic stated.

"I'll be back in just a moment," she said, turning and heading for the counter.

She returned several minutes later with their bill, placing it on the table so she could attent to another costumer. Pooling the Mobiums that they had between the two of them, Sonic and Tails were able to pay for the meal, while leaving a more then adequate tip for their waitress. The trio emerged from the restaurant to the cool night air, making their way through the crowd towards the waterfront. The fireworks ceased as soon as they reached their destination and they watched as an elegant looking gondola with six oars on either side emerging from beneath one of the bridges. A young woman stood on the bow of the gondola, dressed in a white gown that was adorned with gold and silk that reached her knees, a large necklace with diamonds set in it, long white gloves that reached her forearms, red heels, and feather clips in her fiery-red hair. She waved to the crowds of people that had gathered in the streets for the beginning of Soleanna's Sun Festival.

"She's beautiful," Chris commented, "Is that Princess Elise?"

Neither Sonic nor Tails said anything as they watched the gondola docked at the central platform and allowed the princess to disembark and approached a priest who stood at attention with two brown robed guards. She bowed to the priest and was handed a lit torch by one of her two red robed female bodyguards and stared into the flame her light blue eyes as he had another one of her visions. She floated high and watched much to her horror as the entire city of Soleanna was suddenly engulfed in flames.

"Miss Elise?" asked one of her bodyguards, bringing the princess out of her daze.

"It…it's alright," she replied before bowing to the priest in front of her.

"We give thanks for the blessed flame, may we always continue to have piece," Elise said aloud, "Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light…"

The princess approached the Alter of Flame that was located in the center of the platform and used the torch to ignite the tinder within a dish causing the flames to rush up along to another dish located higher on the platform to ignite. Fireworks resumed as Elise turned and waved to the crowd when suddenly missiles impacted the platform and buildings causing the crowd to erupt in screams including the princess as the Egg Carrier appeared over the city. Panic erupted throughout the city as the bottom of the ship opened and several Egg Gunners dropped down onto the platform surrounding the Princess and the guards with her as a hovering platform descended from the sky and hovered near the princess revealing the sinister scientist Dr. Eggman who bowed before her before straightening himself. He was dressed in a red jacket with yellow cuffs; a portion of it having been pinned back revealing the underside to be yellow. He wore gray pants and polished black boots, while a small device was attached to his right arm, held in place by a pair of steel rings.

"Eggman," Sonic snarled "What's he doing here?"

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Princess of Soleanna," Robotnik said, "I am Doctor Eggman, I've come here to annex your kingdom and make it a part of the Eggman Empire. Resistance is futile. You will submit to my rule or be swept away like dust bunnies! Now princess…this way…please."

"Chris, stay with Tails," the hedgehog ordered, leaping over the canal.

Elise took several steps back away from Dr. Eggman as the four guards present on the platform attempted to protect her from harm. Slowly the wind began to pick up spinning around the platform going faster and faster until stopping completely.

"My…that's a pretty snazzy performance there," Sonic said appearing on top of the now extinguished Alter of Flame.

"You…it can't be," Elise said recognizing the Mobian, but unsure where she had seen him.

The robots suddenly opened fire on the hedgehog who leapt off of the dish and attacked one robot with a homing attack, then another, and another until only one remained as Sonic raced towards it and kicked it off of the platform and into the water below.

"I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," he said racing over to the princess and scooping her up in his arms and leaping off of the platform.

"Not that irritating hedgehog again," Robotnik yelled, "ATTACK!"

Several more robots arrived on the scene immediately targeted the hedgehog and launched a barrage of missiles at him that impacted the now deserted streets of the city before Sonic escaped into the night.

"Um, why are you helping me?" Elise asked after several minutes.

"No special reason," Sonic said leaping over to a canal and onto another street and continued running.

"SONIC!" Elise warned as five of Eggman's robots landed in the streets.

Sonic put Elise down on her feet as raced towards one of the robots and planted his feet into its chest knocking it over and leapt into the air as another robot fired it's Vulcan Cannon but caught another robot in its line of fire as Sonic took out the remaining three with a homing attack before landing on his feet.

Elise's screams caused the blue hedgehog to turn around and see that the Princess was captured in one of the mechanical arms of Robotnik hover platform.

"Enough games hedgehog. I'll be taking the princess with me, you wouldn't put her life at risk would you?" asked Eggman.

"Whatever you're planning it isn't going to work," warned Sonic.

"Sonic!" Elise cried out.

"Don't worry, I'll save you," Sonic said looking directly at the Princess.

"I know."

The platform slowly began to rise higher into the air as a section of the Egg Carrier opened and Eggman's platform vanished into the bottom as it flew off towards the distance.


End file.
